Fernando Chui Sai-on was groomed for a top political job in Macau

Dour and uncomfortable in the public glare, Fernando Chui Sai-on cuts a considerably less charismatic figure than Edmund Ho Hau-wah, his hard-nosed predecessor as Macau chief executive.

As political animals they may be poles apart, but their backgrounds meant their family paths were bound to cross - however briefly - in Macau's small yet complex world of business.

Companies registry documents show that in the 1990s the sitting chief executive's older brother, Chui Sai-cheong, formed three real estate and investment firms with Ho. While Ho divested himself of stakes in the companies when political office beckoned, recent filings show that Fernando Chui's brother remains a director and shareholder of one of them.

While Ho, the banker son of trusted Chinese government ally Ho Yin and Fernando Chui were carefully prepared to lead Macau, Chui Sai-cheong became a lawmaker representing the business community. "It's a career path," said businessman and lawmaker Chan Chak-Mo.

Political commentator Larry So Man-yum agreed: "Chui Sai-on was groomed" for a top political position. "His brother was too old, while his cousin too young."

After returning from his studies in the United States, Fernando Chui spent time as a lawmaker and school principal in the 1990s. He became secretary for social affairs and culture in Macau's first post-colonial administration in 1999.